Yesterday, I came across this picture of a Shinto deity in human form. It caught my eye, and as it goes, this picture is in the public domain. As I return to my Shinto posting, I have been looking for a visual icon to use for these posts. This may well be one to use.

Apparently, it dates from 794–1185. As the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog states:

This small statue of a seated courtier is a classic example of a Shinto deity (kami) represented in human form. The artist constructed it through the ichiboku-zukuri (single-block) method, which uses one piece of wood for the entire sculpture. Despite the insect damage throughout (common in Shinto statues of this period), the exposed wood grain—symmetrically centered on the face—gives the work a dramatic effect and strong presence.

I played “Glamorous Glue” for a class today, and now I am in a Morrissey hole, which is a very good thing for me. Morrissey was the lead singer for The Smiths and has had a long solo career.

Part of the song goes like this:

I used to dream, and I used to vow
I wouldn’t dream of it now
We look to Los Angeles
For the language we use
London is dead, London is dead
London is dead, London is dead
London is dead, London is dead
Now I’m too much in love
I’m too much in love

A great soft ear way into Morrissey is “Every day is like Sunday.” This is an oft-covered song that you may well have heard before. A good place to check Morrissey out is “The Best of Morrissey” over at iTunes. One of my favorite Morrissey songs, “Hairdresser on Fire” is here, as well as “Glamorous Glue,” “November Spawned a Monster,” and many other cool songs. Happy listening.

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